182nd iCeMS Seminar: Drs. Antoine H. F. M. Peters and Jacob Hanna
Prof Antoine H F M Peters
Epigenetic Control of Mammalian Germ Line
and Early Embryonic Development
In mammals, totipotent embryos are formed by fusion of
differentiated gametes. In mice, acquisition of totipotency concurs
with remodeling of chromatin states at parental genomes, major
changes in the maternal transcriptome and proteome, and activation
of the parental genomes. It is unknown to what extent
reprogramming or rather the intergenerational inheritance of
chromatin states at different genome regions is required for the
establishment of totipotency in the early embryo and successful
embryogenesis. I will present recent findings on the role of Polycomb
group proteins in early embryos. Moreover, I will discuss ongoing
work indicating that correct histone methylation homeostasis during
spermatogenesis is critical for offspring development and survival
over multiple generations.
Assist Prof Jacob Hanna
Molecular Mechanisms for Inducing and
Resolving Distinct Pluripotent States
The identity of somatic and pluripotent cells can be epigenetically
reprogrammed and forced to adapt a new functional cell state by
different methods and distinct combinations of exogenous factors.
The aspiration to utilize such ex vivo reprogrammed pluripotent and
somatic cells for therapeutic purposes necessitates understanding of
the mechanisms of reprogramming and elucidating the extent of
equivalence of the in vitro derived cells to their in vivo counterparts.
In my presentation, I will present my group's recent advances toward
understanding these fundamental questions and further detail our
ongoing efforts to generate developmentally unrestricted human
naive pluripotent cells. I will conclude by highlighting new avenues
for utilizing epigenetic reprogramming to naïve pluripotency for
unraveling critical gene regulatory mechanisms acting during early
mammalian development.
| Lecturer |
Prof Antoine H F M Peters Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research Basel, Switzerland Prof Assist Prof Jacob Hanna The Department of Molecular Genetics Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel |
|---|---|
| Date / Time | November 28, 2014 / 15:00-18:00 |
| Venue | 2nd floor Seminar Room (#A207), iCeMS Main Building, Kyoto University
Directions |
| Flyer |  PDF (180KB) |
| Host | Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University |
| Registration | Not required. |
| Contact | iCeMS Saitou Group | saitou-g@icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp |